Building panel and wall structure formed therewith



Aug. 1, 1967 M. S. RAUDEBAUGH, JR

BUILDING PANEL AND WALL STRUCTURE FORMED THEREWITH Filed May 6, 1965 INVENTO'R. M020 & Enaosmaexgk M flaw, ,6

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,333,383 BUILDING PANEL AND WALL STRUCTURE FORMED THEREWITH Myron S. Raudebangh, Jr., La Grange Park, Ill., assignor to The Eagle-Picher Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed May 6, 1965, Ser. No. 453,632 4 Claims. (Cl. 52-508) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A building wall panel and a building wall assembly for service stations and industrial buildings, each panel having a generally planar sheet-like major wall portion, minor wall portions along opposite edges thereof, and angled hook-like end portions on said minor wall portions. The angled end portions are identical in crosssection except that one is of lesser extent parallel to the main wall portion to be received by an angled hook-like portion of an adjacent panel of greater extent for interengagement therewith, The angled hook-like end portions of each panel provide entrance openings facing in opposite directions from their respective minor wall portions.

This invention relates to a building panel and an assembly of panels, and to a wall structure formed therewith. More particularly, the invention relates to sheet metal panels of identical construction and to wall structures formed of an assembly of such panels.

Porcelain enameled metal panels have heretofore been used in the erection of gasoline service stations and also, but to a lesser extent, in the building of homes. The present invention has for one of its objects to provide sheet metal panels and assemblies thereof that are more economical to produce and to erect and that have novel features of construction that simplify their manufacture and their use in the construction of buildings, not only for use as service stations, but also for use in car-wash buildings, factory buildings and even homes.

One of the features of my invention is the provision of identical panels, each formed integrally of sheet metal and provided along two opposite edges of the major wall portion of the panel, with minor wall portions normal to the major wall portions and having angled hook-like end portions that serve to join adjacent panels in an assembly thereof to form a wall structure. The angled end portions are substantially identical in cross-section, but one is of a lesser extent parallel to the main wall portion in order to be received in the larger angled hook-like portion of an adjacent panel and to be interengaged therewith. Additionally, the angled hook-like end portions on each panel provide openings facing in opposite directions from the respective minor wall portions, and this, together with the difference in their parallel extents, permits the assembly of panels by substantially a straight-line movement normal to the major Wall portions in inserting an angled end portion of lesser extent into an angled end portion of greater extent. Simple fastening means are provided for uniting the contiguous angled end portions together after they are interengaged.

As a further feature of my invention, other and :dif-

,ferently formed sheet metal panels are provided for constituting a second wall that can be joined through the hook-like portions to a wall formed of the first described panels, and thereby constitute a hollow wall structure of sufiicient strength for the purposes intended, that is economical of manufacture and that requires only relatively unskilled labor for erection.

A further feature of my invention is the ease with 3,333,383 Patented Aug. 1, 1967 which thermal or acoustical insulation material may be combined with the panels used in my wall structures prior to their erection. Slabs or panels of insulating material, such as fiberglass, foamed resins or the like, can be adhered to one or the other faces of panels by means of a mastic, adhesive, or the like, and thereby enhance the insulating properties inherent in a hollow wall construction. Additionally, the surfaces of the panels, or only those surfaces that are to be viewed, can be decoratively finished, as by porcelain enameling, painting, or other type of coating. In this way, buildings of pleasing exterior and interior colors can be erected without the necessity of an afterapplied coating. Relatively permanently lasting finishes can thus be obtained vat very low cost, because such finishes are applied to the individual panels during their manufacture as a part of large scale production operation.

Still other and further objects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the following specification and the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a panel embodying the features of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line II--II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of a wall construction erected with panels of my invention; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view to illustrate precoating of the panels.

The reference numeral 10 indicates generally a panel embodying the features of my invention. Since all of the panels 10 are of identical construction, only one need be described. The panel 10 is formed of metal, preferably a relatively light gauge, such as 18-20 gauge sheet metal, although other sheet material of sufiilcient structural strength, such as synthetic resin sheets, may be used. The panel 10 is provided with a major wall portion 11 that is generally planar, and with minor wall portions 12 and 13 integral with and smoothly extending from the major wall portion 11 at opposite edges 14 and 15 thereof. Said edges 14 and 15, as indeed all of the edges, or bends, of the panel 10 are smoothly rounded to facilitate the coating of the surfaces of the panel or to reduce the tendency of the coatings, if applied to the fiat panel blanks, to crack or break at the bends. The minor walls 12 and 13 extend in the same direction, and this direction will sometimes be referred to herein as inwardly of the major wall portion 11, since it is the exterior surface of the major Wall portion 11 that is exposed, either as an-inner or an I outer wall, but usually as an inner wall in a wall structure such as shown in FIG. 3 and there designated generally by the reference numeral 16.

The minor wall portion 12 is formed with an integral angled, hook-like end portion 17. Said hook-like portion 17 has a first extent 18 angled inwardly to lie within the plane extension of the minor wall 12, a second extent 19 parallel to the major wall portion 11 and directed outwardly of the plane of the minor wall portion 12, and 'a relatively narrow end flange 20 parallel to the minor wall portion 12 and directed toward the extended plane of the major wall portion 11. An angled, hook-like end portion 21 is similarly formed on the minor wall portion 13, said hook-like portion 21 comprising a first extent 22 similar to the extent 18 and angled inwardly from the inner wall portion 13, a second extent 23 similar to the extent 19, but of greater width, and a terminal flange 24 similar to the flange 20. The angled hook-like portions 17 and 21 are thus similar in cross-section, but extend in opposite directions from their respective corresponding minor wall portions 12 and 13. The purpose of making the extent 23 of the hook-like portion 21 wider than the 3 extent 19 of the hook-like portion 17 is to permit the latter hook-like portion to be received into the former hooklike portion. Such an interfitting of a hook-like member 17 within a hook-like member 21 of an adjacent panel is illustrated at 25 in FIG. 3 and will be described further in connection with that figure of the drawings.

The major wall portion 11 of each of the panels 10 is provided with a plurality of spaced ribs 26 extending parallel to the minor sidewalls 12 and 13 and extending for the full length of each panel. Said ribs 26 are smoothly rounded in cross-section to form smoothly rounded grooves 27 on the obverse, or externally facing, surfaces of said ribs. While the ribs may extend in either direction, they are illustrated in FIG. 2 as being convex inwardly. The purpose of these ribs is to increase the rigidity and strength of the major wall portion 11 of the panel and to resist buckling or sagging of the panel along its length. The length of each panel 10, considering the major extent of the panel of FIG. 1 as being its length, is many times its width, the width being the transverse extent illustrated in FIG. 2. Each major wall portion 11 is, therefore, an elongated rectangle, with the minor walls 12 and 13 running the length of the rectangle. This is the preferable arrangement, so that when the panels 10 are assembled to form a vertical inside or outside wall, the length of the individual panels extends vertically and, consequently, so do the grooves 27. It will be understood, however, that wall structures can be erected from these same panels with the major lengths of the panels running horizontally. The latter would, of course, be true if the panels 10 were used for a ceiling, or roof, or combined ceiling-roof construction.

Holes 28 are provided at spaced intervals in the major and minor sidewalls 13 and 12, respectively, for the purpose of forming passages through said walls for the various pipes or conduits, Wiring, cable, or the like, that furnish water, electricity, gas, or other utility service to the building in which my wall structures may be used.

As best illustrated in FIG. 3, the wall structure 16 may comprise an inner wall 30 made up of a plurality of major wall portions 11 of whatever number of panels 10 may be required, depending upon the dimensions of the finished wall. Stitfeners, or angle braces, 31 are optionally provided for imparting added rigidity to the wall structure and added resistance against buckling to the major portions 11. Each of said stifleners 31 comprises a relatively narrow strip of sheet metal of a length sufficient to extend between minor sidewall portions 12 and 13 and provided with right-angled end flanges 32 and 33 adapted to lie against said minor sidewall portions 12 and 13, respectively. As indicated at 34, an end flange 33 of one stiffener 31 is positioned against a minor sidewall 13 of one panel 10 and an end flange 32 is positioned against the opposite surface of the minor sidewall portion 12 of an adjacent panel 10. A self-tapping screw 35 is driven through the assembled flange 32, minor wall portions 12 and 13, and flange portion 33. Each of the stiifeners 31 is provided along the edge that lies adjacent to the inner surface of each panel 10 with cut-outs 36 to receive the ribs 26 free from contact therewith. Similarly, the end of each stiffener 31 is cut away as at 37, so as to eliminate corner edges at the edges 14 and 15 of each of the panels 10. These cut-outs 36 and 37 serve the practical purpose of eliminating the necessity of forming the stiifeners 31 to close tolerances along the edges that are contiguous to the inside surface of each panel.

The wall structure 16 (FIG. 3) also includes an outer wall, indicated generally by the reference numeral 40, which is made up of a plurality of panels 41, which are preferably of a different construction from that of the panels 10. In FIG. 3, the panels 41 provide a generally planar, vertical exterior surface 42. Each of said panels 41 is of elongated rectangular form, with the long edges (not shown) of the panel extending horizontally and with the shorter edges, such as the edge 60, extending vertically and constructed an arranged to provide a tongue-in-groove type of joint, such as indicated generally by the reference numeral 43. The panel 41 is formed at one of its shorter edges with a joint-forming groove 44, that includes a reversely bent, or S portion 45 terminating in a planar flange 46 that extends outwardly from the panel 42 and parallel to the main plane thereof into a position overlying the extent 23 of a hook-like end 13. A self-tapping screw 35 serves to fasten together the flange 46 and the parallel extent 23. In this case, however, the flange 46 is countersunk to receive the head of the screw 35 flush with its outer surface.

The male portion of the joint 43 in the particular part of the construction illustrated in FIG. 3 is formed as a flange 49 on a corner panel 47 along an edge 48 thereof that is to be contiguous with the groove 44. Said flange 49 is formed along said edge 48 the full length thereof to constitute the male or tongue portion of the joint. A synthetic resin gasket 50 is preferably used at each joint 43. Said gasket 50 has a flexible ribbon-like extension 51, which is aflixed to said tongue 49 after being wrapped therearound, as by welding, or in any other suitable manner. With the gasket 50 thus secured to the tongue portion of the joint, the gasket-enveloped tongue 49 is pressed into the groove portion 44 of the joint to be held firmly therein with the gasket material compressed between the contiguous edges 48 and 60 of the panels 47 and 41, respectively. The gasket 50 may suitably be formed of a vinyl resin of a light color to give a pleasing effect at the joint 43.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the panel 10 is provided on both surfaces with a porcelain enamel coating 61. Instead of porcelain enamel, however, the coating 61 may be a paint, lacquer or other finish.

In order to provide thermal insulation, a mat of insulation 62, such as fiberglass, or the like, is affixed to the inner surfaces of the panels 41 and corner panels 47. The affixing of the insulation 62 is preferably done when forming these panels.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A building wall assembly comprising two panel assemblies providing inner and outer walls and a space therebetween,

one of said walls comprising a plurality of identical panels,

each of said identical panels having a generally planar sheet-like major wall portion and minor wall portions at two opposite edges thereof, each of said minor wall portions having an angled end portion extending first inwardly of said minor wall portion, then parallel to said major wall and outwardly of said minor wall portion and finally terminating in a marginal flange parallel to said minor wall portion and directed toward an extension of the plane of said major wall portion, the angled end portion of one of said identical panels having a longer extent parallel to the major wall portion than the corresponding parallel extent of the other angled end portion on the same panel, whereby angled end portions of adjacent panels can be interengaged with the parallel extents in abutting relationship,

the other of said walls comprising other and differently shaped panels,

each of said other panels having an inwardly offset edge flange integral therewith and having a flange portion parallel to said major wall portion,

means fastening said last mentioned flange portion to an angled end portion through the extent thereof parallel to said major Wall portion, and

other fastening means passing through the abutting parallel extents of interengaging angle end portions.

2. A building Wall assembly as defined by claim 1,

wherein,

a stiffener extends along an inner face of each identical panel between the minor wall portions thereof, and means fastening said stilfener to the corresponding minor Wall portions.

3. A building wall assembly as defined by claim 2,

wherein said fastening means are self-tapping screws.

4. A building panel comprising:

a generally planar sheet-like major wall portion and a minor wall portion integral with and extending substantially normal to said major wall portion along a pair of opposite edges thereof,

said minor Wall portions having angled end portions of similar contour in cross-section terminated in flanged marginal portions outwardly of said minor wall portions,

each of said angled end portions having a portion angled inwardly of its corresponding minor wall portion,

another portion parallel to the major Wall portion and extending outwardly of said minor wall portion and a flanged marginal portion parallel to, the corresponding minor wall portion and directed toward an extension of the plane of said major wall portion,

6 one angled end portion of one panel being receivable into and engageable by the corresponding other angled end portion of an adjacent like panel when a plurality of said panels are assembled.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 489,236 1/1893 Sagendorph 52-537 X 2,180,504 11/1939 Bradfield et al 52-588 2,209,283 7/1940 Ronzone 52-539 X 2,349,195 5/ 1944 Peelle 52-407 2,416,240 2/ 1947 Strandlund 52-396 2,598,498 5/1952 Brown 52-584 X 2,628,078 2/1953 Krauss 52-508 X 2,765,887 10/1956 Horowitz 52-520 2,777,549 1/1957 Roebuck 52-5 39 X FOREIGN PATENTS 257,361 9/ 1961 Australia.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner. JOHN E. MURTAGH, Examiner.

A. C. PERHAM, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A BUILDING WALL ASSEMBLY COMPRISING TWO PANEL ASSEMBLIES PROVIDING INNER AND OUTER WALLS AND A SPACE THEREBETWEEN, ONE OF SAID WALLS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF IDENTICAL PANELS, EACH OF SAID IDENTICAL PANELS HAVING A GENERALLY PLANAR SHEET-LIKE MAJOR WALL PORTION AND MINOR WALL PORTIONS AT TWO OPPOSITE EDGES THEREOF, EACH OF SAID MINOR WALL PORTIONS HAVING AN ANGLED END PORTION EXTENDING FIRST INWARDLY OF SAID MINOR WALL PORTION, THEN PARALLEL TO SAID MAJOR WALL AND OUTWARDLY OF SAID MINOR WALL PORTION AND FINALLY TERMINATING IN A MARGINAL FLANGE PARALLEL TO SAID MINOR WALL PORTION AND DIRECTED TOWARD AN EXTENSION OF THE PLANE OF SAID MAJOR WALL PORTION, THE ANGLED END PORTION OF ONE OF SAID IDENTICAL PLANES HAVING A LONGER EXTENT PARALLEL TO THE MAJOR WALL PORTION THAN THE CORRESPONDING PARALLEL EXTENT OF THE OTHER ANGLED END PORTION ON THE SAME PANEL, WHEREBY ANGLED END PORTIONS OF ADJACENT PANELS CAN BE INTERENGAGED WITH THE PARALLEL EXTENTS IN ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP, THE OTHER OF SAID WALLS COMPRISING OTHER AND DIFFERENTLY SHAPED PANELS, EACH OF SAID OTHER PANELS HAVING INWARDLY OFFSET EDGE FLANGE INTEGRAL THEREWITH AND HAVING A FLANGE PORTION PARALLEL TO SAID MAJOR WALL PORTION, MEANS FASTENING SAID LAST MENTIONED FLANGE PORTION TO AN ANGLED END PORTION THROUGH THE EXTENT THEREOF PARALLEL TO SAID MAJOR WALL PORTION, AND OTHER FASTENING MEANS PASSING THROUGH THE ABUTTING PARALLEL EXTENTS OF INTERENGAGING ANGLE END PORTIONS. 